Piano.



no. 677,465. Patented, my 2, lool.

4L.` wg Noncnoss.

PIANO.

(Appumion med sept. 1o, 1900.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-.Sheet l.

me mams News co, wonxuvum maa-Immos. u. c.

No. 677,465. Patented luly 2., |90l. K

L. w. NonCRoss.

PIANU.

(Application led Sept. 10, 1900.) (No Model.) 4 Shaetsf-Sheet 2.

' y t J'lfongeys no. 677,465. Patented my 2,1m.

L. w. Noncnss.

PIANU.

UNITED STATES- PATENT OEEICE.

LEVI WATSON NOROROSS, OF PARIS, TEXAS.

PIANO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 677,465, dated July 2, 1901l Application led lSeptember 10, 1900. Serial No. 29,579. CNo model.)

To a/ZZ whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEVI WATSON NoR- k CROSS, a citizen of the United States, residing and more particularly to the class of upright pianos, one object of the invention being to provide a case wherein the front board may be tilted to provide for holding the music, said board comprising hinged members to permit the upper member to open outwardly and eX- pose the upper portion of the Stringing of the piano, thus precluding the necessity of raising the piano-lid to increase the loudness of the instrument.

A further object of the invention is to so vc onstruct the casing and the string-frame that the latter may be readily and quickly applied and removed without disturbing any part of the piano-action, thus permitting a stringframe carrying strings of a preferred tone to be changed from one piano-casing to another, as a customer may prefer.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, .Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the complete piano with the casing closed, save for the keyboard-lid. Fig. 2 is a view simil-ar to Fig. 1 and showing the upper section of the front board let down to expose the upper portion of the stringingand permit the sound to escape. Fig. 3 is a rear perspective View of the casing with the string frame, sounding-board, and action removed. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the complete instrument, taken through the keyboard and stringframe. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken through the sides of the piano-casing, the stringframe,.and theuprights to which the string-frame is secured. Fig. 6 is a perspective View showingthe string-frame.v Fig. 7 is a vertical sectionV taken longitudinally of the piano directlyin front of the strings. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view showing the upper portion of the string-frame and illustrating the manner in which it is bent rearwardly to hold the tuning-pin boards at an angle to the vibratory portions of the strings.

Referring now to the drawings, the piano includes a casing comprising a bottom 10, top 1l, and sides 12 and 13. Bottom sills 14 and 15 are secured at the corners between the bottom vand sides and extend transversely of the casing, additional transverse sills 16 and 17 being secured to the inner faces of the sides and projecting beyond the front edges thereof to form supports for the keyboard 18. Sills 19 and 2O are secured to the inner faces yof the sides above and parallel with the sills a means for holding the string-frame within the case, the beam 23 lying flush with the upper faces of the lower sills 14 and 15, while the beams 21 and 22 project inwardly beyond the inner faces of sills 16, 17, 19, and 20, respectively. The string-frame, which is secured against these beams, as shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8, is rectangular in outline and connprises a top 3l, abottom 32, and sides 33 and 34. Transversely ofthe upper portion of the frame are formed two wrest-plate bridges 35 and 36, disposed slantingly and parallel, the bridge 36 being somewhat longer than the bridge 35 and likewise lower, the upper end of the bridge 36 lying somewhat higher on the frame than` the lower. end of the bridge 35.

Between the bridge 35 and the upper side,

31 of the frame is a recess in the .form of a tru ncated triangle, and which recess is shown at 37. A similar and larger recess 3S lies intermediate the wrest-plate bridge 36 and the upper side of the frame, the bridge 36 being known as the treble wrest-plate bridgev and the bridge 35 as the basswrest-plate bridge.

Tuning-pin blocks 39 and 40 are disposed in the recesses 37 and 38,'and the strings which are engaged with the tuning-pins 41 therein are taken over the Wrest-plate bridges in the manner shown in my prior patent, numbered 649,174. The wrest-plate bridges have grooves 44 formed therein to' receive the IOO Nu. 677,455. Patented luly 2, |90l.

L. W. NORCRDSS.

n Plum. (Application led Sept. 10, 1900.) A (Ilo Modal.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.-

. l l l Jiwy' 

